30 Kachin communities and organizations in United States and around the world issued a joint statement
urging the United States Government to renew the Burmese Freedom and
Democracy Act of 2003. The statement calls for President Obama, Speaker
Boehner and Majority Leader Harry Reid to renew the Burmese Freedom and
Democracy Act, which will expire at the end of July 2013.
Representative Tom Lantos sponsored the Act in 2003 and it was signed
by President George W. Bush. Among other measures, the legislation bans
the import of Burmese products. Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act bans
the SPDC, any ministry of the SPDC, a member of the SPDC or an immediate
family member of such member; known narcotics traffickers from Burma or
an immediate family member of such narcotics trafficker; the Union of
Myanmar Economics Holdings Incorporated (UMEHI) or any company in which
the UMEHI has a fiduciary interest; the Myanmar Economic Corporation
(MEC) or any company in which the MEC has a fiduciary interest; the
Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA); and any successor
entity for the SPDC, UMEHI, MEC,or USDA from importing products into the
United States.
by-http://kachinlandnews.com/?p=23433

By KLN

July 10, 2013
30 Kachin communities and organizations in United States and around the
world issued a joint statement urging the United States Government to
renew the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. The statement calls
for President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Harry Reid to
renew the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, which will expire at the
end of July 2013.

Representative Tom Lantos sponsored the Act
in 2003 and it was signed by President George W. Bush. Among other
measures, the legislation bans the import of Burmese products. Burmese
Freedom and Democracy Act bans the SPDC, any ministry of the SPDC, a
member of the SPDC or an immediate family member of such member; known
narcotics traffickers from Burma or an immediate family member of such
narcotics trafficker; the Union of Myanmar Economics Holdings
Incorporated (UMEHI) or any company in which the UMEHI has a fiduciary
interest; the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) or any company in which
the MEC has a fiduciary interest; the Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA); and any successor entity for the SPDC, UMEHI, MEC,or
USDA from importing products into the United States.

60 Kachin community organisations and Burma campaign groups worldwide
in 21 countries will take part in a Global Day of Action today to mark
the 2nd anniversary of military attacks by the Burmese government
against the Kachin Independence Army and Kachin civilians breaking a 17-
year ceasefire.

It has been two years now since the Burmese
Army broke the ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army, which
resulted in continuous military attacks on a daily basis and human
rights abuses against Kachin civilians. During the military attacks, the
Burmese Army targets civilians. This constitutes a war crime. Human
rights abuses committed by the Burmese Army documented by the United
Nations could also qualify as crimes against humanity. Kachin civilians
have suffered from human rights violations, including rape of women and
children, arbitrary execution, torture, forced labour, mortar bombing,
burning and looting of villages. More than 100,000 Kachin civilians have
had to flee from their homes to refugee camps and internally displaced
areas. The Burmese government continues to restrict access for
humanitarian aid to thousands of Kachin refugees. International
humanitarian aid is still needed for the IDPs through local relief
organisations.

The Global Day of Action highlights the human
rights abuses in Kachin areas including widespread sexual violence
against ethnic women used as a weapon of war without any repercussions.
They are also calling for the establishment of a federal democratic
Burma to guarantee a durable peace.

There will be peaceful
demonstrations, letter- writing and events in various countries across
the world targeting respective governments to put pressure on President U
Thein Sein to stop the attacks against the Kachin and commit to a
political solution based on the principle of federal democracy and equal
rights for ethnic nationalities.

In Burma, various actions
will take place where peace activists will lay wreaths at the
Independence Monument and there will be a peace demonstration at Inya
Lake followed by interfaith prayer event, organised by the Kachin Peace
Network together with other community-based organisations.

In
the UK, the Kachin community and Burma Campaign UK will hold a protest
outside the British Foreign Office to urge William Hague, UK Foreign
Secretary, to highlight the issue of rape and sexual violence committed
by the Burmese government’s forces, and press for federal constitutional
reform in Burma.

Although there have been some peace
negotiations, there is little progress from the government side to
commit to a genuine ceasefire and negotiate on the political root causes
in a meaningful way. While the Kachin and other nationalities suffer
under the military-backed government, the international community
continues to ignore the horrific human rights abuses and has instead
rewarded the government by lifting most key sanctions. We strongly urge
the international community to actively participate in any future peace
negotiations and political process.

“The root cause of the
conflict in Kachin State is the lack of national equality based on the
current constitution. Without a political solution which is the
formation of a federal democratic Burma that guarantees
self-determination for the Kachin and all ethnic nationalities, there
can never be a durable peace in the country”, said Gawlu La Awng from
the Foreign Department of the Kachin Independence Organisation.